June 29, 2004

WWWHHEEEEEEEEEE
Yes, that was quite a ride. Two weekends ago we gathered up our courage and took the boys camping, all three of them. (3.5, 2.5 and 1 yrs old) It was a whirl wind trip. We went up Friday aternoon and back Saturday morning. It was at a close by campground up one of the nearby canyons, only about 20 minutes from home. But, this was our first attempt or trial run, we weren't about to go too far from our comfort zone. We set up camp and the fun began. We realized we had forgotten the baby stroller and decided we better get it. Cameron took Isaac back with him and I stayed at the campground with the other two. See, it proved wise to be close to home. I sat in my chair and looked up toward the sky. The sunlight was filtering through the rustling leaves of the tops of the tall narrow aspens stretching for the heavens. I took a deep breathe and took it all in. A quiet moment. Then I was pulled away to go explore a nearby dried riverbed. Which was just as pleasurable.

The older two boys had a blast with the bugs. In fact they collected a colony of snails and adopted them. Later that afternoon upon returning from exploring my oldest son was quite upset to find that they were broken! Some how some one (most likely several some ones) had stepped on them. Edison (2.5) insisted they needed batteries while Everest (3.5) was very saddened that his new camping companions were disassembled and was distressed that now he had to go and find new ones even though he really liked his old snails.

Once Isaac (1yr) figured out there was a road leading up to our campsite he was all there and only there. He had plenty of romping room to explore around the campsite but only wanted to play on the little paved road. So finally we caved in and took them for a 'hike' on the paved road. No animals to be seen, just snails. Although Cameron promises he saw deer and squirels. Apparently they saw us before we saw them.

Dinner proved that it's better to be over prepared. As I was preparing the hamburger before the trip. I thought three will be plenty. They boys will split one. Well maybe I should bring an extra one, Isaac can eat an entire hamburger by himself. Well there's only a little meat left, might as well just bring the rest. By the end of it all we had six total and only two survived the fire. It all worked out, the boys were more content to eat pickles and cheetos.

As night began to fall upon us a few other campers pulled in and set up camp around us. At first it made me nervous then I was releaved as they pulled out baby strollers and toddlers too. Now I won't feel so bad if our children stay up all night. Which brings us to the real ride of the trip. It was past Isaac's bed time so we just laid him down in the tent and zipped it up real fast. He can never go to sleep if we rock him, he likes to be left in his bed. So it was the closest thing we could do for him. The rest of us sat around the fire and listened to him struggle on and off. Surprisingly it didn't take that much for him to settle down and go to sleep. Meanwile Everest was poking the fire with his large walking stick and wondering why we were afraid he was going to start a fire as he waved his smoldering red hot tipped stick around.

Well it was that time, we all brushed our teeth camping style and got ready for bed. Just as we got in our sleeping bags Everest informs me has to go to the bathroom. So we tromp off in the dark to the latrene. EEEEEuuuuuueeeeee it STINKS! was his reply. It took some convencing and I had to demonstrate how to cover your nose go pee and run like the wind. He decided to give it a try and back to the tent we went.

Finally after many stories and running around the tent with sheer excitement we were all fast asleep. Well most of us that is. I was pretty sure I was on a slant and that my feet were hirer than my head. Sure enough I had to keep scooting my sleeping bag back down. Soon Isaac was awake in the middle of the night and realizing he wasn't on his turf couldn't go back to sleep. It took some time and adjusting. We tried changing his location and rubbing his back, and talking to him. Finally after flopping around and fussing for quite awile he settle down between Cameron and I and was back to sleep after he groaned and moaned. Thank goodness. However, a short while later I was awakened by a rock beneath me and found that Isaac had managed to take over the entire sleeping pad and I know was wedged literally between a rock and a hard spot. "Is it morning yet? Are we there yet?" were my only thoughts. Not to mention my mothering instincts kept me awake as I was worried about the boys being warm enough. I had to keep checking on them and covering them up. Some how by some miracle I managed to get some sleep only to be awakened yet again by Isaac sitting inbetween us all waving his arms up in the air as if on a roller coaster chanting WWWHheeeee! WWWWhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeee! whhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!. However, this time there was light outside the tent. Yes, that was quite a ride, Isaac, quite a ride.